


Reconciliation

by CaelynAilene



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-03-11 02:08:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13514526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaelynAilene/pseuds/CaelynAilene
Summary: Two sisters separated for years by family tradition, beliefs, and war. What happens when they unexpectedly end up in the same place.





	1. Sisters meet again

**Author's Note:**

> This story is an offshoot from Two Paths Diverged but can be read as a stand alone. It started life as a one shot. I have written a few more chapters but there are several yet to go and as I have several works in progress I don't know when this will be finished so for now I'm only posting the original one shot.

“Andromeda?” she whispered.

Draco stood taking a step between the two women.

Andromeda stood and spoke stiffly, “Narcissa.”

The sisters stood staring, Draco waited nervously to see what they would do, looking rapidly back and forth between them. He stopped when he saw tears form in his mother’s eyes.

“Andi… oh Andi...I...I.” Her hands flew to her face to hide.

“You what Cissy?” 

The blond’s hands dropped back to her sides, eyes widened at the sound of her sister using her nickname, she took a step forward and stopped, “I’m so sorry.”

Draco looked again at each woman and then said to the room “I’m going to go see if Harry found that toy broom for Teddy,” as he walked quickly to the door.

Narcissa stepped forward once again, “I’ve missed you so much for so long Andi.”

“Oh really?” Andromeda snapped, “And I’m supposed to believe that? You never once tried to contact me. You never reached out to me when I got married, when I had a child, when my daughter got married, when my grandson was born, when my husband was killed, when my daughter and her husband were killed by our dear sister. The war has been over for more than a year and I’ve not heard a word from you. The last time I talked to you was on the Hogwarts Express on the way home for the last time. I can understand why you never tried while you were still at home that summer but once you went back to school you could have sent me an owl. Once you were married you could have Flooed me. At any point in the last two decades you could have tried at least once to contact me.”

Narcissa nearly collapsed to the floor under the tirade from her sister, tears streaming down her face.

“And yet,” Andromeda’s voice softened a bit, “Draco tells me you told him stories of our childhood together as bedtime stories and I know that has to mean something, but I’m not sure it means enough.”

Narcissa waited to see if her sister would say more before replying, “I wrote to you. I wrote almost every day for the first two weeks back at school but I never heard from you. I tried again after Lucius and I were married, I sent owls, I even tried sending one of the house elves but I never heard back from you. I thought you’d decided to disown me as mother and father had you.”

Andromeda scoffed, “You wrote to me? Then why did I never receive any letters?”

“I don’t know. Someone must have intercepted them but I did write. I can show you the memories in a Pensieve, I’ll take veritaserum, Draco might have some around he’s been working on his potions all summer or I can go get some from the local apothecary. Or...Wait I know. Please stay here, I’ll be right back.” She turned and rushed to the Floo, tossing in a handful of powder and disappearing into the green flames, less than two minutes later she stepped back out with a book in her hand. “Here take this, read it please.”

“What is it?” Andromeda took it carefully in her hand as if expecting to be cursed.

“A journal, letters to you really, though I daren’t use your name so they’re all addressed to M-31.”

Andromeda’s eyes watered, “You remembered?”

“How could I forget? I’ve often thought our little exploration into Muggle science and astronomy was the first step in your move away from the family. Your love for Ted must have been something really special to leave behind all you knew.”

“He was my world. I knew I’d lose Mother and Father and even Bella, though I never expected to lose you, but I wouldn’t trade my time with Ted or my Nymphadora for anything.”

“And now you’re a grandma?”

“Yes, Teddy is all I have left.”

“You have me, if you want me. I won’t pressure you, read that journal and then we can talk if you want,” Narcissa walked to look out a back window, “The boys seem to be getting along, if you decide you don’t want to reconnect with me I hope you will at least stay in touch with Draco. I think he could use someone like you in his life right now. He’s been so strained since the war, he’s not happy at the Manor anymore, for that matter I’m not so happy there anymore. I’m thinking of redecorating. It is rather drab and dreary. It needs lightening up, removal of some of the dark things or relocation of them anyway, maybe I can put them all in Lucius’s personal study.”

“Cissy stop,” Andromeda injected, “You’re babbling on and on. I’ll read this but I won’t promise anything other than that I will stay in contact with Draco so long as he wants to and doesn’t start behaving like his father.”

“I don’t think that’s a concern, he can’t even stand to be in the same room as Lucius anymore. Lucius has been rumbling about disowning him and at this point I wonder if that would even bother Draco, however I’ve told him if he does I’ll be leaving as well and taking all of the Black family inheritance with me. Actually would you let me set up an account at Gringotts for Teddy. I’m sure his parents left him what they had but you and he should have some of the Black money to help with his needs through the years, especially once he goes to Hogwarts.”

“You would do that? Can you do that?”

“Yes I would do that, and why wouldn’t I be able to do that. The money is mine now, it’s more than I would ever need, more than Draco would need and he seems to be on a path that’s leading him to take care of himself and not fall back on family money.”

“I...thank you Cissy, but what will Lucius say?”

Narcissa laughed, “Lucius has no say, the Black family vaults have my name and my name alone on them, besides if he gets angry and mouthy over it I’ll just leave.”

“You’d leave him? Really? Don’t you love him?”

“Andi, you have to know you’re the only one of the three of us that married for love. Bella married for power and though he was from a Pureblood family our parents never quite liked him but he was a suitable match so when she insisted the agreed. You ran off and married for love, then Mother and Father married me off to Lucius to save the family name.”

“Why did you go along with it?”

“I was never as strong as you or Bella, not when it came to our parents that is. I did come to care for him through the years though I never quite understood his devotion to the Dark Lord but that was something else I just couldn’t actively fight against.”

“You did you’re stay quiet and stay out of the way thing you always did when Mother or Father were arguing with Bella or me right?”

“Yes,” she half laughed.

“Harry told me you saved his life.”

“That was purely selfish. It was the only way I was going to find Draco. I don’t know how I would live without my son. He is my world.”

“That I can understand. Teddy is the reason I get up every morning. If it weren’t for him, I don’t know what my life would have been after losing everyone else I loved.”

“I can never apologize enough for not being there for you.”

Harry knocked as he came in the door, “I’m sorry for interrupting but Dromeda I think it’s time for Teddy’s nap. He’s getting quite tired and cranky. Draco has him distracted but it won’t last.”

Andromeda nodded, “Well then let’s get him and go.”

“Wait, just for a second please,” Narcissa said, “Do you have an owl?”

“No.”

“Then I have an idea, it will only take a moment, no longer than it will take for Mr. Potter to go get your grandson.”

“All right.”

“Tippy,” Narcissa called and seconds later a smaller than normal house elf clad in a flowered dish towel popped into the room, “Tippy this is my sister Andromeda, should she call for you, please go directly to her house,” she then turned to her sister, “You can call her to send me a letter if you need or if you simply need some help with Teddy or the house. Tippy is a wonderful cook and housekeeper.”

The elf beamed in delight, “Mistress Narcissa is too kind to Tippy.”

“That is very thoughtful of you Cissy. I’ll...I’ll be in touch,” she said as Teddy launched himself into her arms when Harry brought him through the door.

“It was good to see you Andi.”

“Yes it, it was.”


	2. thinking back

M-31   
The name echoed through Andromeda’s head as she and Harry returned to her cottage and put young Teddy down for a nap. After Harry left she sat in her favorite arm chair near the fireplace with the book Narcissa had pressed into her hands just thinking back.

 

“Cissy, come here,” Andi whispered from the door.

Narcissa stretched and moaned lightly before swinging her feet over to the steps at the edge of her opulent canopy bed. Her nightgown rustled just a bit as she ran on tiptoes across the carpet following her sister down the hall and out window, looking over her shoulder several times as they stole into the labyrinth of which her mother was so proud. They didn’t stop until the reached the center, a surprisingly large flat space of grass. The girls tumbled to the ground carefully so as not to get grass stains on their white nighties.

“What did you find Andi?”

The older girl held up a book and a strange contraption on which she pressed a button and light shone from the end as if she had cast Lumos.

“Muggles call this a torch. It runs on something called batteries. Don’t ask where or how I got it and never let on to Mother and Father than you’ve seen it. I just didn’t want to use my wand.”

“Andi you know we won’t get caught with underage magic, they’ll just assume Mum and Dad are doing the magic. Even if someone did catch us no one would dare say anything against our family.”

“I know Cissy, but still. Mother and especially Father would be right mad if we got in trouble.”

The small blond head bobbed as she acknowledged that her sister was most definitely right about their parents. It would be worse though if their parents caught them with Muggle things so they had to be quiet and get back to bed before their absence was noted.

“What’s the book?”

“I got it from a Muggleborn in my year. It’s all about the stars. Muggles have names for them.”

“I know that,” Narcissa replied, “that’s why we wanted to get the book. You and Siri and Reg are all named for stars or something right.”

“Naming children after celestial bodies is a Black Family tradition,” Andromeda recited.

Narcissa’s lower lip jutted forth, “I still don’t know why you got the special name. Why not Bella or me?”

“Father got to name Bella as she was the firstborn.”

“But why?” Narcissa whined.

Andromeda shook her head, “Cis, you know why Father is the man of the house so he got to name the first child.”

“That’s just stupid. I’m not letting the man I marry name our first child without my approval!”

“Neither would I, but in that case we both better pick our own husbands because you know anyone Mother and Father match us with will adhere to the old ways.”

Narcissa shuddered at that thought, “Show me the book. Did you find your name?”

Andi nodded, “I’m not just a star but a whole galaxy!” she whispered excitedly.

“A galaxy?” Narcissa’s eyes widened at the thought, “What about Siri and Reg?”

“They’re just stars,” Andi bragged, “Siri is the Dog star even.”

“Eww,” Narcissa giggled, “Maybe we should bark at him next time we see him.”

“Well the book does say it’s the brightest star in the sky,” Andi added kindly.

“Siri? Bright?” Narcissa’s eyes again widened, this time with disbelief, “He’s a Gryffindor.”

“Well yeah,” Andi giggled too, “but what’s even funnier is Reg’s star is called the heart of the Lion.”

Narcissa fell back with one hand over her mouth and the other holding her stomach. She rolled back and forth giggling. Finally she calmed then pointed to the sky.

“Where’s your galaxy? Show me please. I want to be able to look up at the sky and see it and remember you when you go off someday for a job or to get married.”

“A job?” Andi laughed ruefully, Black women did not work. She lay back next to her sister and grabbed her hand moving it in the sky, “the Andromeda galaxy also known as the M-31 galaxy-”

“M-31, what kind of ridiculous name is that?”

“It’s short for Messier 31, and I don’t know exactly why it’s a Muggle name. But we live in the Milky Way galaxy.”

“Milky Way? That just sounds wrong, why would the silly Muggles name the place we live the Milky Way.”

“I’m not sure but I think it has something to do with the way the stars of our galaxy appear in the sky, like spilled milk maybe. Anyway the Andromeda galaxy is a spiral galaxy. I don’t really know what that means but it sounds really neat.”

“It does,” breathed Narcissa, “Is that it?” 

Andromeda moved her sister’s hand just a bit more, “There that’s it. Whenever you look up and see it you’ll think of me and when I see it I’ll think of you.”

 

Andromeda wondered just how many times her younger sister had looked at the sky and thought of her. She had stopped looking up many years ago, it simply hurt too much. Once again she looked at the book in her hands. The answers she was seeking might just be held between its covers but she wasn’t sure she was brave enough to look. Still the thought of being loved again, being loved still by someone other than her grandson was a pull she couldn’t resist. Finally she opened to the first page.


	3. Chapter 3

M-31  
It feels strange to write that but I know I can’t say what I really want to say. I’ll do my best to keep this with me at all times. I know the shrinking spell but I don’t know yet how to make this look like any other book, to make the pages blank, or how to best transfigure it so it looks like something else and stays that way. You know transfiguration has never been my best subject, but now I have better incentive to learn. Thanks goodness I squeaked by the OWL to get into NEWT level, though I wouldn’t put it past Druella to have greased the wheels. Hopefully soon I’ll learn one of those and can better protect this, in the meantime it will stay shrunken in my inner robes pocket unless I’m writing in it.

Mother and Father have been so much different since you’ve gone. The wards on the house are so strong now I couldn’t get out if I even tried, not that I do. I look at the stars from the window. I see you in the sky but I wish I could see you in person and talk to you. I knew I couldn’t write from home though I tried asking Mippy to take a letter to you, really not a bright idea but I had to try. I’m sure she went right to Mother and Father, but they never said anything to me though every time I’ve tried to ask any of the elves to do anything outside the house they tell me they can’t.

Mother did all of my school shopping herself, I wasn’t allowed out of the house all summer. I’m not allowed to go to Hogsmeade this year either. I should be mad at you, it’s all because of you that my life has become a virtual prison but I love you. I hope you’re happy. One of us should be. You know Bella is happy with her match even if she doesn’t love him. It helps that unlike more Pureblood men Rudolphus kowtows to her. She most definitely is in charge. It’s rather scary really, she seems to get just a bit more off kilter each time I see her. Mother and Father are awaiting the day she announces that she’s having an heir, but I wonder if that will ever happen. In front of them she plays the doting wife well but you can still see the truth, well if you want to see it and you know the parents don’t want to. She is married to an acceptable match even if they don’t seem to quite like him so they’re happy.

Reg told me that his mother has blasted you off the Black family tapestry along with his brother. I never talk to Siri since he’s not in our House but we do exchange glances across the Great Hall occasionally. He looks like he feels sorry for me, or maybe he’s looking at Reg. 

Have to go, time to head to Potions, so tired of old Slughorn and I can’t wait until the day I can get out of her except that I have more freedom here even in the castle than I do at home now. I miss you.  
Cissa

 

M-31  
If I saw you right now I’d hex you. I’m so angry I could spit, and yes I’m well aware that ladies do not spit. While Bella made an acceptable choice in her spouse all on her own, you did not and so I don’t get a choice. I don’t even get the chance to try to find my own acceptable husband. They haven’t said so much in actual words but the cheerful letter informing me that I may once again visit Hogsmeade so long as I am accompanied by Slytherin prefect Lucius Malfoy made it perfectly clear. 

He has since taken to sitting next to me at every meal and attempting to ingratiate himself to me. Even more unfortunately he is followed by Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle. I’m surrounded by idiotic males. Nott is at least intelligent as is Lucius but the other two, I pity the poor girls they end up married to. Though it will probably someone just as dumb as they are.

Lucius isn’t even bad looking. I actually rather like his hair, and may have even had a passing thought or two about him in the past but to be forced to be with him just makes me so angry. I know that had we been born a century ago we would have had no choice in our marital partner, but I also think having been raised knowing that your spouse would be selected by your parents would be different than where we are today. I always thought I’d be able to pick my own husband.

Some days I just hate you!

 

M-31  
I don’t really hate you you know, I love you so much and it hurts that I can’t find a way to see you or talk to you. I’ve tried sending owls but they keep being returned. I guess you don’t want to hear from me, or maybe you’re just rejecting anything that comes from the family. I suppose I could ask Reg to send a letter for me, or see if he could have Sirius send one but I’m afraid to try. Afraid to find out that you really don’t want to talk to me anymore. Afraid that I have no one I can really talk to, no one I can really rely on, no one who really loves me. I miss you so bloody much!


	4. Chapter 4

M-31  
Life continues on here at Hogwarts. I skipped the first Hogsmeade trip just did not want to spend the whole time with Lucius. He must be smarter than I thought because he suggested next time I ask some of the girls to come with me and he’d bring his flunkies, my word not his, we could all go the same places and that way we’d be meeting my parents’ requirements but I might enjoy myself more. Maybe he’s just trying to ingratiate himself to me, he could change completely after we’re married. I’m sure Mother and Father are just biding their time and will announce it by the end of this school year so we can be married as soon as we cross back over the lake in the boats next year. It could also be that they’re bargaining for my dowry. Because of you I could quite easily be seen as damaged goods, but while the Malfoy name is good their fortune has nothing on ours and they don’t nearly as far back on the Sacred Twenty Eight so no matter what getting me hitched to Lucius is a coup for them.

I never speak to Bella anymore, not that I ever really did. Neither of us did. We were a pair and she was just there. I think that’s why Mother and Father are so worried about me, I’ve always been more like you, though never as outspoken as you. That and your strength are the two things you’ve always had in common with Bella. You’re both very much your own woman where I have always and still feel like a little girl living in the shadows of my bigger sisters, well the shadow and the stain now.  
I better go, need to put in an appearance in the common room.

 

M-31  
Well that trip to Hogsmeade went better than I expected. Lucius stayed out of the way. He and his cronies either went in the shops we went to or they stayed outside and insulted the people that walked by. You know I was never sure how to feel about Muggles and Muggleborns before you ran off with Ted but now I’m even more confused. From what our parents and grandparents say they’re horrible awful people lower than the worst wizard, lower than a house elf, but the Muggleborns I’ve been in class with from other houses manage just fine. They learn the spells and potions just as well as any of us Purebloods or the Half Bloods. Some of them are smarter than some of us. Though honestly it wouldn’t take much to be smarter than Crabbe or Goyle. I really pity the poor girls stuck marrying them.

If Muggleborns are supposed to be worth so much less why is it they can be smarter than some of the purebloods? Why is there are those like you that marry the Muggleborns? And at what point are the descendants of muggleborns or half bloods considered pureblood? Are they never? If we went back on our family tree would we find a halfblood or muggle born somewhere? Did magic begin at the beginning of time and the beginning of humans? OR did it develop over time? Are we all descendants of some muggle way back in time? If that’s true how are we better? We learned in Advanced Care of Magical Creatures that when you breed kneazles that are brothers and sisters or even cousins that you start to get animals that are imperfect. They might have physical deformities or mental ones. Is that what’s wrong with Crabbe and Goyle, too many purebloods intermarrying, so that they’re marrying their cousins? How close are we related to the Malfoys? If I have a child with Lucius will there be something wrong with it? Is that where squibs come from? If Muggles can have magical children and muggleborns have magical children then where do Squibs come from?

All of this makes my head hurt. I wonder if there are books on breeding in the library that might make this more clear. I’ll have to ask Professor Kettleburn or Madame Ursten. Though perhaps I should wait until I come back from Christmas break. I can’t take those books home with me anyway. I suppose I could look in our library at home or ask Aunt Walburga. I can always say I’m interested in breeding Kneazles for show, that’s an appropriate activity for a Pureblood lady.


	5. Chapter 5

M-31  
Well it’s official. I still have a year and a half left of school but as Lucius only has until the end of this year our parents have announced our betrothal. We spent quite a bit of time together over the holiday. There are times I think I could really like him. We do have some common interests and we can be having a perfectly pleasant conversation and somehow it turns. He’ll start talking about the Dark Lord, or filthy Mudbloods, or being a Death Eater, which seems to be his sole ambition save for taking over the family estates. He just wants to be the spoiled rich boy. The Pureblood society man. I don’t know what I’m going to do.  
I suppose I have a year and half to find someone else like you did. Well really only a year as he’ll still be at Hogwarts until this June and to be quite honest there really aren’t any boys in Slytherin that I want to be attached to for life. I suppose I need to keep an eye on Purebloods in Ravenclaw as they’d be the most appropriate, though Hufflepuff would work as well, obviously Gryffindor will be a last resort, though someone that brave might be the best for standing up to Mother and Father and I know that there are Purebloods there. Maybe I need to visit Aunt Walburga and look at the tapestry, I might be able to find someone not to closely related to us, not that that bothers Mother and Father but it gives me the shivers, but someone that would be appropriate.

M-31  
It's been months since I last wrote. School took up almost every last second of my time second term but you know how that is. Then summer, Mother and Father kept a close eye on me the entire time. I'm sure they had some sort of watching spell on my room, or were making the house elves check in and make reports. I didn't dare take this out and try writing.  
I managed to escape a few times, off to a friend's house and I've to Aunt Walburga’s, always chaperoned. Lucid went with me to the Black family home. It was what I thought was a brilliant idea. I'd take him along to see the tapestry. He could go home and report that our family was worthy reading his parents fears and hopefully showing our parents that I'm doing exactly as they wish and of my own volition.  
It was fine when we first got there. Aunt W fawned over Lucius, he's perfect in her eyes. His little hints dropped about the Dark Lord and cleansing wizarding society thrilled her and made me sick to my stomach, though I managed not to show a sign of how I felt. Then we went to look at the tapestry. What a mistake! You're gone, just in case you hadn't guessed or assumed I'm telling you now, you’re gone. Ol’ W blasted you right off.   
I have no idea how I managed to not cry then and there but somehow. The whole walk back to apparition point and while we sat at dinner that evening Lucius went OK and on about how impressive the yesterday was, an amazing recording of the finest of wizarding society, how wonderful it will be for our children to be on that wall, and be able to show them or history. All I could think about was how unforgiving this family that if supposed to be so much better than others is.  
Merlin I miss you!


End file.
